Dale Moore @trajan420 - Twitter Profile

**Dinner** and **supper** both refer to evening meals in modern usage, but they aren't always identical. The distinction is largely cultural, regional, historical, and sometimes class-based. ### Core Meanings - **Dinner**: Traditionally the **main meal of the day** — the biggest, most formal, or most substantial one. In many English-speaking countries today, it is eaten in the **evening** (typically 6–8 PM). It can also mean the **midday meal** in some contexts (e.g., "school dinner," holiday dinners like Thanksgiving or Christmas that happen in the afternoon, or older British usage where "dinner" was lunch). - **Supper**: Usually a **lighter evening meal**, often eaten later (7–9 PM or later). It can imply something more casual, informal, or leftover-based. In some regions, it's simply a synonym for dinner. ### Regional Differences (Especially in the U.S.) - In much of the **Midwest, South, and rural areas**, people often use **supper** for the evening meal and may reserve **dinner** for the midday meal (especially on Sundays or farms). - In **urban/coastal areas**, **dinner** is far more common for the evening meal, and "supper" sounds old-fashioned or quaint. - In parts of the **UK, Canada, and Australia**, "tea" often replaces supper/dinner for the evening meal, while dinner can mean lunch. ### Historical Context - The words come from different roots: "Dinner" from Old French *disner* (to eat the main meal), "supper" from Old French *soper* (to eat soup or a light evening bite). - Before electric lighting and modern work schedules, the main meal (dinner) was often eaten earlier in the day when people worked physically from dawn. A lighter "supper" came before bed. - Over time, as workdays shifted and the biggest meal moved to evening, the terms overlapped or swapped meanings depending on location. In everyday conversation today, many people use them interchangeably. If someone invites you to "supper," it’s usually just a more folksy way of saying dinner. The real difference is often more about the speaker’s background than strict rules.

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